European Commission (06.02.2023) A newly released Eurobarometer survey shows that an overwhelming majority of EU citizens support strong action at EU and national level as well as more social spending.

Indiablooms (04.02.2023) The 1st G-20 Employment Working Group concluded in Jodhpur today on a positive note with all G20 countries showing interest and commitment in constructively working towards the objective of the three priority areas of Addressing Global Skills Gaps, Gig & platform…

euobserver.com (19.01.2023) Self-employed or employed? This question is at the heart of the negotiations of the proposal for an EU directive on improving the conditions of platform workers.

Home-delivery riders, or Uber-style app drivers are some of those who compose a sector estimated…

EURACTIV.com (02.02.2023) After months of arduous negotiations, the much-debated and politically sensitive platform workers’ file was finally approved in plenary on Thursday (2 February), with 376 in favour and 212 against. The text enshrines a legal presumption of employment for self-employed…

The Daily Star (31.01.2023) Bangladesh made a major step towards a universal pension scheme when parliament passed the Universal Pension Management Bill-2022 on January 24 with a view to bringing the country's growing elderly population under a social security system.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has enormous potential to promote global economic growth by more than 15 trillion USD. Additionally, it can advance social good by helping to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, reduce human trafficking,  improve healthcare, and support achieving the UN…

The report covers the extent and consequences of the labour market disruption caused by overlapping economic and geopolitical crises and analyzes global patterns, regional differences and outcomes across groups of workers. The report pays particular attention to the impact of the different…

guardian.ng (31.01.2023) A new International Labour Organisation (ILO) report, World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2023 (WESO trends), has raised concerns about inequality and effects of the global economic slowdown on the quality of employment. It warned that if left unaddressed, the…

consilium.europa.eu (30.01.2023) Council adopts recommendation on adequate minimum income This Council recommendation aims to combat poverty and social exclusion, and to pursue high levels of employment by promoting adequate income support by means of minimum income, effective access to enabling…

G20 member nations consist of 2/3rd of the global population with 80% of global economic output. In this context, deliberation on the enhancement of labour holds significant relevancy. The 1st Employment Working Group (EWG)Meeting under the Sherpa track of the G20 will be held from the 2nd to…

NPR (27.01.2023) To developmental economist Lant Pritchett, "population decline" is a mild way to describe what could be a global demographic crisis. "The reaction is often 'ho-hum' as the rates [of population decline] are slow and hence the issue seems small and in the future," he told NPR in…

East Asia Forum (18.01.2023) China has translated its economic development into improved social welfare. China’s quest for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all while lifting 800 million people out of poverty is an example. Its experience in healthcare development provides transferrable…

The use of telemedicine, or remote clinical consultations, was limited in most OECD countries before the COVID‑19 pandemic, held back by regulatory barriers and hesitancy from patients and providers. In early 2020, as COVID‑19 massively disrupted in-person care, governments moved quickly to…

ndtv.com (27.01.2023) Social security issues will be on top of the agenda at the BRICS countries meeting to be hosted next month by South Africa, which over the Presidency of the five-nation bloc from China on January 1 this year. South African Department of Employment and Labour's Acting Deputy…

The Diplomat (19.01.2023) Seniors living in poverty or working to supplement their income are on the rise as Japan’s public pension system cracks under a super aging society. 

fao.org (2022) The report analyses the state of social protection for agri-food systems workers in the region. Specifically, it provides an overview about existing social assistance and social insurance programmes, analyses their sensitivity to agri-food systems workers’ needs and…

Asian Development Bank (Dec 2022) It uses the bank’s Social Protection Indicator to assess the level of resources invested in social protection, the extent of coverage, and the benefit levels of social protection programs. Further data disaggregation provides the distribution of social…

worldbank.org (17.01.2023) The informal business sector is a source of livelihood for millions of people around the world. Despite its size and importance, business-level data that provide an in-depth understanding and cross-country analysis of the sector are lacking. To fill this gap, the World…

EURACTIV.com (19.01.2023) French train drivers, teachers and refinery workers were among those who walked off their jobs on Thursday (19 January) in a nationwide day of strikes against government plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.

theigc.org (09.01.2023) When natural disasters displace households, impacts on welfare can last for years after the event and vary depending on the extent of response. Between 2008 and 2018, around 265 million people were displaced by natural disasters around the world. While climate change…

ceps.eu (10.01.2023) Should we make SURE a permanent instrument? To answer this, one might look at whether SURE – as a loans-based financial instrument – has been effectively taken up by Member States and used to support Job Retention (JR) schemes and other similar measures.

The Japan Times (09.01.2023) Low fertility rates — in the absence of increased immigration — will reduce the working-age population, in turn lowering household consumption and economic growth

ScienceDirect (2023) Social protection, as a vulnerability response tool, is well-placed to equip climate-vulnerable populations with resources that de-risk livelihoods and smooth consumption. This systematic literature review of 28 studies identifies evidence for how social protection has…

koreatimes.co.kr (08.01.2023) The government will take drastic measures to tackle Korea's demographic crisis of its falling birthrate and rapidly aging society, said Na Kyung-won, head of the presidential committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, who floated the idea of writing off loans…

European Commission (03.01.2023) Principle 17 of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) emphasises the right of people with disabilities to “income support that ensures living in dignity” as well as “services that enable them to participate in the labour market and in society”. …